


“If there’s anything more important than my ego around, I want it caught and shot now.”

by notjustmom



Series: Towel Day 2018 [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Douglas Adams, Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, M/M, Towel Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 03:07:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14761440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: post case... timeline is non-canon (aka the Fall hasn't happened)





	“If there’s anything more important than my ego around, I want it caught and shot now.”

"If there's anything - anything more important than my - what - is it, my ego around, I want it caught and shot." Sherlock slumped against John and nearly lost his balance on the stairs.

"Yeah, yeah, if anything pops up, I'll take care of it. Just a couple more steps and we're home. Three - two - one. Okay, just - I'm going to, can you just lean against - bloody hell, Sherlock." John sighed as Sherlock slid down the wall until he sat down hard on the floor. "This is why... no. Don't fall asleep on me. I just need to open the door and then - nope, nope, nope."

"Whyyyyy?" Sherlock groaned as John threw him over his shoulder, and carried him into the flat, unceremoniously dumping him onto the couch.

"Why? You crash because you don't sleep, you don't eat, you don't listen -" John dropped next to him and closed his eyes for a moment, before helping Sherlock out of his mud encrusted shoes and socks, then began to rub his feet. 

"Nooooo.... I know that. Why doesn't anyone like me? Ow!"

"Sorry." John looked down at Sherlock's foot in his hand, and was reminded again how very human the man was, he was made of flesh and bone like everyone else. "I like you."

"You do?"

"You can question that?" John glanced over at him and shook his head. "How -?"

"John. People can have relationships of a physical nature -"

"Relationships of a physical nature?" John snorted and rolled his eyes.

"-without necessarily liking each other."

"We are friends, have been - ever since -"

"What does that even mean?" Sherlock sat up and crossed his arms, and John knew that their already long night was about to get immeasurably longer, if he couldn't find the right words and quickly.

"Friendship? It can mean different things for different people -"

Sherlock raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"I like you because as long as I've known you, what is it now -"

"Three years, five months, two weeks..."

"Yeah, let's call it nearly three and a half years, hmm? In all that time, you somehow have remained essentially who you are, you have changed very little."

"I'm not sure that's necessarily a good thing, John." Sherlock fell back onto the couch and closed his eyes.

"But it is. For all of your arrogance, and defensiveness, you have the biggest heart I've ever known. Specifics... alright. Anytime you see a stray, you stop whatever it is you are doing and check to see if there is somewhere it belongs, yes, you do. You rarely make your clients pay for your services, unless they are filthy rich and even then, if the case interests you enough, you won't take their money. Your Homeless Network? You don't ever judge them, you treat them as human beings -"

"They are human beings, John."

"Yes, I know that, but very few people see them as you do, you honestly care for them."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"I could have so easily become one of them when I came home. I felt unwanted, invisible, and if I hadn't met you when I did -"

Sherlock bolted upright and took John's face in his hands, kissing him softly, then rested his chin on John's head and wrapped his arms around him. "You have always given me far too much credit, John. I just saw what was in front of me; your strength, your conscience, your essential goodness, and revealed to you who you could be. I've often wondered if left to your own devices, you might have found someone better, someone kinder than I am. I have led you into danger far too often, I'm selfish with your time - you could have had a family, the house in the suburbs, a real job - not just the odd locum hours, something real."

John pulled away from him and sighed as Sherlock turned away from him. "Don't. You are the most real person I've ever known, Sherlock. Every day you show me how important I am to you, how you love me and trust me. You understand me, know me, better than anyone. Time after time you have proven your love for me, even if you don't know that's what you are doing - I see it, and I know, Sherlock. Whether you think otherwise, I know." He cleared his throat and offered Sherlock his hand. "And I know you're more than exhausted, but I think a bath and some take-away are called for - let me take care of you, love."

"You always do, John." Sherlock nodded and allowed John to help him from the couch and into the bathroom. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"Everything. Just everything, John."


End file.
